1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cup holders, and particularly to a cup holder for a drinking game known as “Beer-Pong” or “Beirut,” the cup holder providing for quick and accurate placement of the cups and for keeping the beverage (typically beer) chilled during play of the game.
2. Description of the Related Art
Beer-Pong, or Beirut, is a drinking game that is a popular party game, particularly among young people, such as college students. Although there are many local variations in the rules of the game, typically the game comprises two teams of two people each. The game is played on a conventional ping-pong table, or a table similar in dimensions to a ping-pong table, but without the net across the center of the table. The teams have a group of drinking cups, e.g., 16-ounce cups, arranged in a close fitting triangular pattern, similar to racked billiard balls, placed centrally at opposite ends of the table. The cups are filled, or half-filled, with a beverage, typically beer, although malt liquor or other alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverages may be substituted therefor.
The purpose of the game is for each team to take turns trying to eliminate the other team's cups by throwing or bouncing ping-pong balls into the cups. Any cup that a ping-pong ball falls into will be taken out of play, and a member of the team whose cup was eliminated must drink the beer or other beverage contained in the cup. Depending upon the number of cups remaining, the cups may be rearranged into a diamond configuration or other configuration as cups are eliminated. The objective is to eliminate the opposing team's cups first, and the victor is the team that does so.
Setting up the cups into a tight configuration of rows forming the triangle with the rims of the cups abutting one another can take some time. Moreover, the cups can slip or slide on the table. Finally, the game can take long enough so that, by the time the game is finished, the last few cups of beer to be eliminated are warm, diminishing enjoyment of the game, and the remaining cups for the winning team may simply be discarded because the beer is too warm and flat. Consequently, there is a need for a device that enables quick setup, that retains the cups in a tight configuration, and that keeps the beverage chilled during a game of Beer-Pong or Beirut.
Thus a cup holder for a drinking game solving the aforementioned problems is desired.